Abbaschian accepts appointment

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 13, 2005

ASM International President-Elect Reza Abbaschian has accepted an appointment as Dean of UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE).

After a nationwide search, Reza Abbaschian, a professor of materials science and engineering and former chair of one of the largest materials departments in the nation, has accepted an appointment as Dean of UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE).

"Dr Abbaschian's leadership and insight will prove invaluable to the College of Engineering as it continues to grow and expand", said Chancellor France Cordova.

"We are fortunate to have a person of his stature, expertise, and drive in this position".

Abbaschian will begin his duties September 2005.

He has served as Chairman and Vladimir A Grodsky Professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida (UF), where he has worked since 1981.

"My decision to come to UCR was based on several attractive features, including the quality of faculty, diversity of students, dedication of staff, and the commitment of the campus leadership to enhancing Bourns College of Engineering", said Abbaschian.

He replaces Dean Satish Tripathi, who left UCR in July 2004 to become Provost at the University at Buffalo.

Professor of Environmental Engineering Mark Matsumoto has been serving as the interim dean.

While Abbaschian was Chairman in Florida, the annual research expenditures of the department grew to more than $12 million.

The department also moved into the top ten ranking by the US News and World Report for both undergraduate and graduate engineering education.

Abbaschian said he plans to lead the BCOE to similar distinction.

"My vision is for BCOE to become the college of choice for its stakeholders - students and their parents, faculty and staff, employers and industries, funding agencies and organisations, citisens of California, alumni and practicing engineers", said Abbaschian.

"To achieve this, we will strive for distinction in teaching, research and service while enhancing diversity, attracting the finest faculty, and recruiting the best students".

Abbaschian has more than 230 scientific publications, four patents, eight patent disclosure and eight books.

He has been the recipient of the UF Top Researcher or Research Achievements Awards for eight consecutive years, the 1998 Educator Award of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society's Educator Award (TMS) for outstanding contributions in engineering education, the TMS 1999 Leadership Award, and the Structural Material Division's 1999 Distinguished Scientist/Engineer Award.

He also received the 2003 the American Society for Engineering Education's Donald E Marlowe Award in recognition of "creative and distinguished administrative leadership in engineering and engineering technology education".

He was elected a Fellow of ASM International, the largest materials society in the world with 37,000 members, in 1992 and a Fellow of TMS in 2000.

He is the President-Elect of ASM International.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in mining and metallurgy from Tehran University, a Master of Science degree in metallurgical engineering from the Michigan Technological University and a PhD in materials sciences and engineering from UC Berkeley.

Before joining UF in 1981, Abbaschian was chairman and member of the faculty at Pahlavi University, Shiraz, Iran, Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, and Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.